‘For the North, by northerners’: New teacher education program in La Ronge
Gabriel Dumont Institute, in partnership with the Lac La Ronge Indian Band (LLRIB), are currently accepting students into the new Northern Indigenous Teacher Education Program (NITEP).
The program is expected to begin this fall with up to 30 seats available in the first intake. According to LLRIB Director of Education Simon Bird, 20 people have already applied and it’s open to anyone wanting to earn a Bachelor of Education degree. He noted there will be an intake of students every year and there will be support in place for First Nations and Métis students.
“Our leadership, chief and council, have always stated ‘For the North, by northerners,’” Bird said. “We strongly feel that any of our band members should be getting an education as close to home as possible, so we can maintain our professionals in the North. It’s all about building capacity”